Security architects are the people responsible for maintaining the security of their organizations’ computer systems, and as such they must be able to think as hackers do in order to anticipate the tactics attackers can use to gain unauthorized access to those systems, according to the InfoSec Institute.

Anyone in this position can expect to have to work odd hours on occasion, and needs to be constantly up to date on the latest security threats and available tools.

Sometimes people who ultimately take on the role of security architect, like Jerod Brennen, could not have predicted such a career direction when they were younger. When Brennen began attending Capital University, a small liberal arts college in Ohio, in the 1990s, he intended to pursue a career in the film industry as a composer.